


The Once and Former Avenger

by MasterOf4Elements



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:01:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24123283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MasterOf4Elements/pseuds/MasterOf4Elements
Summary: It had been over a decade since Tony Stark, Steve Rodgers, and Natasha Romanov had seen the god of thunder. They were sure they were in for surprises upon arriving at the cabin in Norway on that snowy afternoon. (A Thor-centered AU)
Relationships: OC/Thor, Thor & Avengers Team
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

It had been over a decade since Tony Stark, Steve Rodgers, and Natasha Romanov had seen the god of thunder. Thor hadn’t seemed like his normal jovial self when they last saw him and they had only heard from him off and on throughout the years. In reality the only thing they knew about Thor was that he lived in New Asgard and he was still alive.

The flight had been long, as had the snowmobile drive to Thor’s home, but it was far from the most strenuous thing they’d done for a friend. They were heroes after all who had done more for strangers.

They were sure they were in for surprises upon arriving at the cabin in Norway on that snowy afternoon.

“We should’ve called first,” said Steve. “He may not want to see us or even be at home. He hasn’t invited us or reached out to us in years. There’s got to be a reason for that.”

“Don’t worry about it,” said Tony. “I’m sure Blondie will be happy to see us.”

Natasha rolled her eyes. “I am not listening to you two argue like I did on the ten-hour flight here. You almost got us put on a no-fly list.”

“How was I supposed to know that asking for another bag of peanuts would nearly cause an international incident,” Tony said. “Besides, it was your idea to go commercial instead of using one of my private jets.”

Natasha gritted her teeth. “Don’t even start with me, Stark!” 

“Not to interrupt, but I’d like to go inside before we all freeze,” Steve said.

Natasha cleared her throat and raised her fist to rap against the door. The sound of the knock was met by the sound of barking dogs followed by heavy footsteps.

“Jacob! Esau! Heel!” they heard Thor’s familiar voice say.

“At least we know he’s home,” Tony said, as the door opened to reveal two large wolf-like dogs and their owner.

The next surprise was at how much their friend had changed. Thor had gained quite a bit of weight, especially in his stomach. He had always been a big tall man, but now he was pushing 350 pounds. He carried it well, though and was still just as strong and muscular in his arms if even more so than before. Having grown out his beard and hair he appeared more like a Viking king than ever before.

“My friends!” Thor said, pulling both men and Natasha over the threshold and into a crushing hug. The heavy door closed behind them. He laughed loudly. “I thought I heard voices outside. I’m pleased to see you here.”

“Good to see you too,” Steve said, rubbing the back of his neck. Even his super soldier-abilities were no match for one of Thor’s embraces.

Thor’s eyes widened suddenly and he released his friends. “Has something happened? Why are you all here? Nothing is wrong, is it?”

“I told you we should’ve called first,” Steve hissed at Tony.

“What a greeting,” Tony muttered.

“Nothing is wrong, Thor. I promise. Sorry to frighten you,” said Natasha.

“This is just a friendly visit,” Steve said. “It’s been a while.”

“Well that’s good to hear,” Thor said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Please come in and sit down. You can put your jackets and boots in the closet behind you.”

The trio took their soaking snow jackets and boots off and stored them away. They looked around the cozy cabin, which was a far cry from the bachelor pad littered with beer cans that Thor used to live in.

“You look…different,” Tony said, gesturing to Thor’s rotund belly.

“Good different,” Natasha said quickly, elbowing Tony in the ribs.

Thor chuckled loudly and patted his stomach. “I suppose I have changed quite a bit these last few years. My wife is a good cook and it’s more than her beauty and charms that I can’t resist.”

“Oh, so you’re married?” Tony clarified.

“Ah, yes. For nearly ten years now,” Thor said. He gestured to a picture hanging on the wall of himself and a woman in traditional Asgardian wedding garb. “To a beautiful Midgardian woman named Elsa.”

“Nice,” said Tony, admiring Thor’s wife. “Is she that pretty in person?”

“Even more beautiful,” Thor said with a broad smile. He chuckled. “Even when she isn’t standing next to an oaf like me for comparison.”

“Do you have any kids?” Steve asked.

As if they knew they were being spoken about, eight blonde-hair blue-eyed children bust through the door. They ran past Tony, Natasha, and Steve dropping backpacks, shedding coats and stepping out of boots as they went. They crashed into Thor, hugging his legs.

“Papa!” they greeted them. 

Thor smiled at his children. His eyes seemed to brighten at the very sight of them. He petted their heads and backs. “Hello, my dear children. How are you? How did you enjoy school today?”

The children gave various answers at once. They all bounced up and down, clamoring for Thor’s attention. Thor picked the youngest of them, a two-year-old girl, up into his arms and handed her the stuffed koala tucked in his pocket. She hugged it tightly and kissed its cloth face.

“Did you miss Walla while you were at pre-school, Katerina?” Thor asked.

Katerina nodded and nuzzled against her father. She buried her face in his neck shyly. 

Thor chuckled. “Did you miss Papa too?”

Katerina raised her head and nodded vigorously. She kissed Thor on the cheek before whispering something in his ear.

“I love you too, my little one,” Thor responded. He looked at his other children. “I love all of you very much.”

The children, still excited, responded with a chorus of ‘I love you’. 

Thor chuckled. “You’d better clean up those jackets and shoes before Mama comes home.”

Thor moved to a large deerskin covered chair where the dogs lay waiting for their master to sit. The children quickly gathered up their things and shoved them in the closed before joining Thor. They sat around the room in various spots and another daughter and son who looked not much older than Katerina crawled into his lap. Thor smiled at his friends and motioned for them to join him in the den by the fire.

Natasha, Tony, and Steve followed them in and sat on the sofa opposite Thor. 

Thor looked back up at his friends and smiled proudly. “Yes, I do have children. Eight in fact.”

“I can see that,” said Tony. “Almost enough for your own baseball team.”

Katerina whispered something else in Thor’s ear.

Thor smiled and tapped Katerina on the nose. “Yes, that is Iron Man. My clever princess. You remembered.”

“Hey, I have a mini-fan!” Tony chuckled.

“Do you know who the other man and lady are?” Thor asked.

Katerina nodded and whispered in Thor’s ear again.

“Captain America and Black Widow. Very good,” Thor said. “She loves to hear stories about the other superheroes I knew, but you are her favorite, Tony. She thinks you might be the king of America because of the big house you live in.”

“You know your father is actually a king, right?” Tony asked Katerina.

The toddler nodded and nuzzled against Thor again, still being shy. 

“Thor, sweetheart, I’m home,” a voice called from the door. She smiled, realizing her children were home from school. “Hello, my darlings.”

“Mama!” they shouted, abandoning Thor and running to the door.

Jacob and Esau followed with tails wagging and happy barks to greet the lady of the house.

The trio of former Avengers turned to look in that direction and saw a very beautiful woman caring two brown bags in her arms. They assumed by the resemblance in the wedding portrait she was Thor’s wife, though her figure gave no indication she’d given birth to one child let alone eight.

“Oh, hello,” the woman said noticing the guests. She kicked the door closed behind her.

“That’s it. I’m moving to Norway,” Tony said. “She’s the tenth model gorgeous blonde I’ve seen since we got off the plane.”

“Peter, help Mama with the groceries, please son,” said Thor. He made his way to his wife, giving Tony a narrow glare. Thor helped Elsa take off her coat and kissed her flushed cheeks. “Come by the fire, my darling. You’re practically frozen.”

Thor and his wife rubbed noses in a sign of affection and shared a lingering kiss. The eldest son carried the bag of into the kitchen and sat it on the table. The children sorted through the bag, putting things away in the pantry and refrigerator then returned to the den.


	2. Chapter 2

“My friends, I would like you to meet the love of my life, Elsa,” Thor said. “Elsa, my love, this is Tony Stark, Steve Rodgers, and Natasha Romanov. Former Avengers like myself.”

“Pleasure to meet you at last,” Elsa said, reaching out to shake hands with the three visitors. “My husband speaks often of his friends from America.”

“If he’d mentioned how hot his wife was, we would’ve visited a lot sooner,” Tony said, kissing Elsa’s hand rather than shaking it.

Elsa laughed. “What a compliment. I’m flattered.”

Natasha elbowed Tony hard in the ribs. “We really should’ve come sooner, and we are sorry for that. It’s very nice to meet you Elsa.”

Thor’s grip around Elsa’s waist tightened protectively. “I do like to keep my personal life private from most people but you are my friends. There is no need for apologizes Lady Natasha. I too am guilty of not reaching out to you.”

“You’ll stay and dine with us tonight, won’t you?” Elsa said, trying to lighten the mood.

“We don’t want to impose,” Steve said.

“There is always room for guests at our table,” Elsa assured them. She smiled and gestured toward her brood of children. “As you can see, I prepare plenty of food.”

Thor placed a hand on his belly and chuckled. “Enough for a second helping.”

“Well, then I guess we can’t say no,” Steve said. 

“Would you care for something to drink while we wait?” Elsa asked “Tea? Coffee?”

Before Tony opened his mouth, Thor spoke. “I no long keep beer in the house or drink it around my children.”

Steve and Tony looked at each other. The last time they had saw Thor he’d started drinking heavily.

“We’ll both take coffee,” Steve said, gesturing to himself and Tony.

“So will I,” Natasha said, looking a Tony and Steve. She recalled the last thing Thor had said to her was an incoherent slur when she had to help him home one night.

Elsa went into the kitchen to get coffee for her guests, while Thor led them back to the den to sit. Katerina, who had been in Thor’s lap before, quickly scurried back into her place there. Thor smiled at her.

“Katerina, can you tell our guests hello?”

Katerina shyly waved, and Thor began to introduce the other seven children.

“Matilda is our eldest,” Thor said.

“I’m almost ten,” Matilda said proudly.

“Reaching double digits. That’s important,” Tony said. He pointed over at Steve. “You know he may not look it, but he’s almost three digits old.”

“Papa’s four digits old,” Matilda said, as if she were trying to one up Tony. “I’m the smartest kid in my class. My teacher thinks I should skip a grade next year, but Mama and Papa think I should wait and stay with my friends.”

“My turn,” Peter said, interrupting his sister. “My name is Peter and that is my twin brother, Oliver.”

“How come I don’t get to introduce myself,” Oliver said, glaring at Peter.

Matilda rolled her eyes. “Ignore them. They’re only eight and they fight all the time.”

“Reminds me of two other brothers I know,” Natasha mused. 

“Go on,” Thor urged his children, hoping to prevent the conversation from devolving to himself and Loki.

“I’m Alexandra, but Papa and only Papa calls me Lexi-Love,” the middle daughter said. “I’m six and speak three languages. English, Norwegian, and Spanish. I know a little Old Asgardian too.”

“Impressive,” Tony said. “I do good to manage English.”

“Do well,” corrected Steve. 

“Thank you, Schoolmarm Rodgers,” Tony said dryly.

“My name is Jenna. I’m five and short and that’s it,” the next Odinson daughter said. 

“Oh, Jenna there’s more to you than that. You’re the fastest runner your grade and the next,” said Thor.

Jenna smiled. “Well there is that I guess.”

Two of the youngest a boy and a girl stepped up next. 

“I’m Nicholas and she’s Nicolette,” the boy said. 

“And we’re twins,” the girl said. “Oh, and four.”

“Two sets of twins? And she still let you touch her after that?” Tony scoffed. “What a woman!”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Elsa said, sitting a tray of coffee mugs on the small table. She took two of the mugs and handed one to Thor before sitting in the chair next to him. “Just as you like it.”

Thor took a long swallow of coffee. “You know me well, my wife.”

“Quite the family you have,” Natasha said, stirring creamer into her coffee.

“Beautiful children” Steve added.

“They take after their mother,” Thor said grinning.

“I take it you’re happy?” Tony asked.

“Happier than I’ve ever been,” Thor said. He raised Elsa’s hand to his mouth to kiss it.

Katerina huffed and held up her hand, wanting a kiss too. Thor chuckled and kissed Katerina on her hand.

“You make me happy too, princess,” Thor said. He smiled at his children. “You all do.”

“Good to know,” Tony said. “We were a little worried about you when you first moved here.”

“Marrying Elsa and starting a family of my own helped me greatly. My heart couldn’t bear the thought of a life without my without my wife and children,” said Thor. “Drinking too much almost cost me that.”

“Oh, honey,” Elsa said, leaning over to kiss Thor on the cheek. She rubbed her thumb under his eye. “The changes you made are more a credit to you than us.”

Thor placed his hand over Elsa’s. He moved it to his mouth again and kissed her palm. “My darling Queen. My perfect mate. My guiding star.”

Elsa smiled. “Sweetheart, I’m flattered, but you’re ignoring your friends and probably making them feel awkward.”

“No, please. Don’t let us stop you,” Tony said.

“Why do you always say the stupidest things?” Natasha groaned. “It’s like your mouth isn’t aware that your brain exists.”

“I like to take every opportunity to show the world how beautiful my wife is,” Thor said. “I truly am a lucky man.”

“As sweet as your words are my darling, I suppose I should go get a start on cooking dinner,” Elsa said.

“I’ll help you with that,” Natasha said.

“That isn’t necessary. You’re a guest,” said Elsa.

“I insist,” Natasha said. “It’ll give me a chance to tell you some stories you may not have heard about your husband.”

“Need any help from me, my love?” Thor asked.

“It would be nice if you could peel the potatoes for me, dear” Elsa said, standing up and walking towards the kitchen. “Children, go do your homework and wash up, then you can come back down. Dinner will be ready in a couple of hours.”

The children, save for Katerina, left the room and ascended the stairs to their bedrooms. Jacob and Esau followed them loyally.


	3. Chapter 3

Natasha followed Elsa into the spacious kitchen that had separate dining room through an open archway. She observed the numerous pictures on the wall of Elsa, Thor, and their children. Each moment seemed to be well documented, including the children growing up and new babies being born. 

“You have a beautiful home,” Natasha said. “I like the designs on the cabinets.”

“Thank you. I drew them and Thor burned them with lightening. The house smelled like fresh pine for weeks,” said Elsa. She handed Natasha a cutting board with another intrigant design. “Thor did this one too. It’s our names in Asgardian lettering. He adds a name when we have another baby. We’re running out of room.”

“I never knew he was so talented,” Natasha said with a laugh. 

Elsa took the fresh carrots out of the bag she’d brought in. “I’ll peel them and wash them. Then I’ll pass them to you to chop.”

“Alright then. I can handle that,” said Natasha. “But you should put Steve and Tony to work after this.”

“I’ll make them set the table,” Elsa laughed. “Usually the children or Thor will do that on the nights that I cook dinner.”

“I can’t believe that pampered prince cooks,” Natasha said. 

“You’d be surprised how much I had to teach him about household responsibilities and doing his share.”

“Oh, no. I believe it.”

“He claims to love it.”

“I think he just loves making you happy.”

“Well he does a good job of that.”

“I’m glad he found someone willing to put up with him.”

Elsa laughed. “You’ve known him longer than I have.”

“Not that much longer, and definitely not better,” Natasha said. “How did you meet Thor anyway. Is there an AsgardianMingle.com or what?”

“I had just finished college in London and moved back to town. I wanted to make it on my own and prove to my parents an art degree was an excellent idea. I started applying for jobs and became a waitress at a new tavern in town. I didn’t realize until later the family who owned it and hired me were Asgardian,” Elsa said. “I honestly thought they were from Australia due to their accents. I couldn’t imagine why they would come to the middle of nowhere.”

“I take it Thor frequented the bar?” Natasha mused.

“Every day or lunch and every night for dinner. I still had no clue who he was then. For weeks he was known to me as the handsome stranger with unusual eyes,” Elsa said. “Of course the owners knew who he was. I guess Thor requested me to serve him so he could talk to me more.”

“You must have freaked out when you found out.”

“You would think, but at that point I was so in love with him nothing mattered. Within three months of meeting we were married and I was pregnant with Matilda.”

“Do any of your kids have superhuman powers?”

Elsa nodded. “All of them, but Thor is teaching them daily to control it. There have been frequent storms since Katerina hit her terrible twos and I’m positive it’ll be worse in a few years when Matilda becomes a teenager.”

“They all seem well-behaved to me.”

Elsa laughed. “You caught them on a good day, but mostly they are behaved.”

Natasha looked again at the pictures hanging on the wall. She could see all eight children had inherited Thor’s big smile brown-blonde hair. Thor seemed happier than he ever had before.

Meanwhile in the den, Tony and Steve were teasing Thor about his new cooking skill.

“Nice to see you learned to make something other than Lunchables and Pop-tarts,” said Tony.

“And use something other than a microwave,” Steve added. 

“I’ve got a family to take care of now,” Thor said. “There’s a lot I’ve had to learn to do.”

“Do either of you have a job?” Tony asked bluntly, and Steve elbowed him once again. “Ow! Will you stop doing that? You’re going to rupture my kidneys.”

“Elsa and I are more or less the rulers of my people here in New Asgard, though since moving here we’ve adopted many Midgardian customs of elections and councils,” Thor said. “Our children attend school with the other children of our small village and we farm or buy our meats and vegetables like everyone else.”

“Just an ordinary life, huh?” Steve mused.

“As ordinary as I can manage,” Thor said. “I don’t want my children to grow up thinking everything will be handed to them just because of their last name. I want them to work hard and appreciate what they have.”

Katerina suddenly slipped off Thor’s lap and moved over to sit on the sofa in between Steve and Tony. She silently sucked on the knuckle of her thumb as she looked up at them, her eyes shifting back and forth between the two men.

“I think she likes you two,” said Thor. “She’s usually very shy around people she’s never met before.”

Katerina looked up at Tony and Steve and grinned. Tony and Steve smiled back at her.

“Well it’s an honor to be an exception,” Steve said.

“I talk about the two of you a lot,” said Thor. He smiled at his daughter. “See, honey, I told you they were real.”

Katerina muttered something unintelligible.

“Sweetie, you have to remove that thumb if you want to talk. No one can understand you,” Thor said gently.

Katerina sighed and dropped her hand to her lap and looked up at Tony. “Papa say you fly. That true?”

“I have a special suit that helps me fly,” Tony said.

Katerina tilted her head, imagining a tuxedo with wings. She placed her hand back to her mouth.

Thor chuckled. “My children love to hear stories about my time in America. They insist we go visit one day.”

“Then I’ll return the favor and you can stay with me,” Steve said. “I’ll even cook dinner for you.”

“And after you eat that, I’ll drive you to the emergency room,” Tony joked.

“I’m not that bad of a cook,” Steve said.

“You’re on a first name basis with the people at Mama Luigi’s Pizza and you know it.”

Thor shook his head. “You argue like my children. Don’t make me put you in time out.”

“Speaking of kids, why’d you have so many?” Tony asked.

“Elsa and I both wanted a big family,” Thor said. He looked sheepishly at the floor and swallowed nervously. “And mortal birth control doesn’t work for gods. Elsa’s actually pregnant again.”

“Congratulations,” said Steve.

“And you’re both happy about this?” Tony asked. 

“Of course! I’ve never forced myself on any woman, most certainly not her. If she were not wanting to become pregnant or even make love, I could survive just sharing a bed with her next to me. She is my wife. Not my slave.”

“I didn’t mean anything by that,” said Tony. “You’ve got a good moral code and I know you respect women. You can settle down with one. That’s why you’re married with kids and I’m always fighting with my girlfriend.”

Katerina had moved into Steve’s lap and even stopped sucking her thumb at this point. She looked up at him and her bottom lip quivered. Thunder could be heard in the distance. Katerina didn’t like when her papa used his loud, outside voice. It reminded her of timeouts and getting in trouble.

“Can you show me the rest of the house, little one?” Steve asked her.

Katerina nodded and hopped off Steve’s lap. She took him by the finger and led him towards the stairs.

“I think I’ll join you on that tour,” Tony said, hurrying after them.

Thor sighed heavily and continued peeling the potatoes. He didn’t mean to be so harsh with his friends, but he wanted to make sure everyone knew how much he changed. He was a father and a husband now with different priorities than the god they once knew.


	4. Chapter 4

Tony and Steve followed Katerina up the stairs where all the bedrooms were. The first room at the beginning of the long hallway was obviously Thor and Elsa’s room. The bed was made of strong wood and looked custom built longer and wider to accommodate Thor’s height and any little ones who wanted to climb in and sleep between their parents. Thor’s side of the bed was easy to tell because Stormbreaker and Mjolnir leaned against the wall beside it. 

Like every other part of the house, the walls contained paintings and framed photos. Even the walls along the stairs had family photos that showed the growth and expansion of the family. Birthday parties, Christmases, and every special occasion could be seen in detail. Of course, it seemed Thor and Elsa turned every occasion into a special one.

“Hi, there,” Jenna said, poking her head out of her bedroom just down the hall. “Remember me?”

“Uh….I want to say Jessica?” Tony guessed. 

“Jenna. That’s close though,” the five-year-old said walking towards Tony and Steve. “What are you doing up here? Did you bother Mama in the kitchen and get in trouble? We’re not supposed to do that.”

“Your sister is showing us around the house,” Steve said. 

“Which one?” asked Jenna.

Steve and Tony looked down to see that Katerina had walked off and left them behind. 

“Reminds me of every date that ditched me with a bill,” said Tony.

“The little one with the bear-thing,” Steve said. 

“Katerina, and it’s a koala not a bear,” Jenna said matter-of-factly.

“Oh…well, then,” said Steve.

“She’s probably in the playroom,” Jenna said, going into the room next to Thor and Elsa’s. 

Sure enough, Katerina was on the floor with her stuffed koala, helping him make a pretend dinner. Someone had made Walla a small home to live in with furniture just his size. There were several handmade toys and dollhouses in the room along with a large tv with every console and game ever made. 

“So much for not handing his kids everything,” said Tony.

“Hey!” Jenna said, stamping her small foot. “We work hard for our stuff. Good grades and chores, besides the video games are mostly Papas” 

Tony and Steve chuckled. Their tour of the house became a tour of the toy neighborhood. Jenna showed them the art station, where each toy belonged, and explained each of her and her siblings’ hobbies. She was very well-spoken for a five-year-old, but with the style of old English Thor used it wasn’t surprising his children would follow suit.

“Papa and Mama like to make things for us,” said Jenna. “But we have toys from the store too and some that Father Christmas brought.”

It wasn’t very long that Jenna herself began to be distracted by the lure of the playroom. 

Meanwhile downstairs in the den, Thor was finishing the task his wife had given him. 

“Potatoes are done, dearest,” Thor said loudly. He stood up and carried the bowl back into the kitchen to Elsa. 

“Thank you, darling,” said Elsa. “Just sit it down there by the sink and I’ll wash them off.”

“I can wash them for you,” said Thor. He stood behind his wife and wrapped his long arms around her to use the sink. He stole a quick kiss on the cheek and nuzzled his face against her hair.

“I could move for you.”

“No, this works fine,” Thor said. He kissed Elsa’s shoulder. 

“Stop distracting me!” Elsa said, playfully swatting Thor away. “Shoo! Go! Go entertain our guests.”

“Say, you didn’t leave those two knuckleheads alone did you?” Natasha teased.

“They’re in the capable hands of Katerina, taking a tour of our home,” Thor said. He moved his arms around Elsa and held her close to him. He placed his hands protectively over her stomach, which had yet to show signs of pregnancy. Still Thor could feel the energy of the tiny life growing inside his wife. 

“You must not want your dinner on time, my husband. Usually you’re hungry,” Elsa teased.

Thor pressed a kiss to Elsa’s neck. “Maybe I want something sweet first.”

“Thor,” Elsa warned, bumping her husband’s face with her shoulder.

Thor chuckled. “I’ll leave you be for now.”

Thor gave a light squeeze to his wife’s bottom before stealing another kiss and leaving the kitchen. Elsa shook her head. Sometimes Thor could be a more of a teenaged boy who just discovered his love for the females of his species for the first time, rather than a grown god.

Natasha’s eyes widened at the gesture. “No wonder you have eight kids.”

Elsa laughed. “That’s a fertility god for you. Did he mention to you I’m pregnant with our ninth child?”

“No, he didn’t,” Natasha said. “Congratulations.”

“When we got married, I told Thor that I wanted at least a dozen children. Lucky for me he adores children and wanted as many as I wanted.”

“I think he’d give you the world if you asked for it. I haven’t seen him this head over heels in love since…” Natasha’s voice trailed off.

“Sif? Jane?” Elsa mused. “Maybe you’re talking about the time before he started drinking.”

“I didn’t mean to bring up anything if it’s a sensitive subject.”

“Not a problem. I’m aware I’m not the first woman my husband has fallen for or taken to his bed. What matters to me is now and for the rest of our lives I’ll be his one and only,” said Elsa. “As for his drinking that did almost end our relationship.”

Natasha remained silent. She knew Thor’s alcohol consumption was a problem before he moved to New Asgard, but she never would’ve guessed it was a marriage ending problem. 

“We were engaged, and I had just found out I was pregnant,” Elsa continued. “I was already worried because he and I had talked about starting our family soon, but not that soon. I didn’t know if he was really ready.”

Elsa cleared her throat before she continued. “When I came over to tell him my news, I found him on the sofa, passed out drunk. I was so angry and upset. Later when he tried to apologize and explain things to me, I threw the ring he gave me back at him and told him not to bother and I wouldn’t let him near my child.”

“That is certainly a way to tell the man you’re pregnant,” said Natasha. 

“You could see the hurt in his eyes when I told him I was leaving him and he’d never meet his child. He begged me not to leave and to give him a second chance, so I did. He promised to honest and that’s when he told me that he wasn’t just named Thor he was then Thor, god of thunder.” 

Natasha smiled. “You’re a better more patient woman than I am Elsa. There’s a reason I haven’t settled down.”

“Maybe you just haven’t met your one and only yet.”

“Maybe not,” Natasha mused thinking of all the almosts and could-have-beens. “I just haven’t met my thunder god yet.”

“And if you don’t there’s no harm in that,” said Elsa. “You’re the type of woman Thor and I want our daughters to look up to and admire. We want them to be happy in the decisions they make and chart their own course in life. If that means starting their own company or getting married and being a stay-at-home-mom….they can even do both if they wanted. If Matilda says she doesn’t want to become Queen when the time comes then she doesn’t have to be.”

“That is a very forward thinking view.”

“We try. Yes, our children have gravitated to toys and activities that are traditional or stereotypical of their gender, but there’s no harm in that either.”

“In that case I’d love to be a fly on the wall when your girls start dating,” Natasha said. “I can only imagine Thor would greet them at the door with hammer in hand.”

Elsa laughed. “I imagine so too.”

When Thor returned to the den after dropping off the potatoes, he was surprised to see that Steve and Tony had retuned.

“Surely you didn’t see the whole house in that time,” said Thor.

“Our tour guide was distracted by the playroom,” Tony explained. “Then a second tour guide took over and also got distracted.”

“Did you build the dollhouse? It looks exactly like your cabin,” said Steve.

“I built it, but Elsa painted it. She’s more talented than I am when it comes to art and most things,” said Thor. He chuckled. “She even sewed most of the clothes the dolls wear.”

“My G.I. Joes would’ve loved using someone of those houses as a base when I was a kid. Especially with all those Barbie dolls around,” Tony said.

“So how did you and Elsa meet?” Steve asked, hoping to shift the subject.

“And where can I meet a woman like her?” added Tony.

A smile tugged at the corner of Thor’s mouth. “She was a barmaid at the tavern where I spent most of my nights after the war. It was owned by people I knew so when I requested that she be my server at every visit they honored the request. I felt a connection with her that I hadn’t with anyone else before.”

“Like a soulmate?” asked Tony

“Oh, much more than that,” Thor explained. “It’s rare that anyone, a god included, find the one their soul intertwines with. They can find someone that they dearly love, but this is something different entirely.”

“Sounds that way,” said Steve.

“I know it is improper to compare a woman to an object, but to describe how I feel for Elsa is like a suit of armor. She was made for me and only me and I her.”

Tony sniffed. “That’s beautiful man.”

“Well, they say love is the most powerful force in the world,” said Steve. 

“If you think my love for Elsa is powerful, well….believe it or not the love I have for my children is even stronger,” Thor said. “I thought that I finally knew what love was when I met Elsa, but when I held my little Matilda in my arms for the first time the feeling was indescribable.”

“They also say there is no greater love than that of a child,” said Steve.  
“I want to know who this ‘they’ is and why they know so much,” Tony said. 

“It is true though,” said Thor. “My children are my everything. Watching them grow is bittersweet. Everyday they get closer to leaving home to be on their own using the skills that I taught them. I’m very proud of them.”

“It shows,” Tony said. 

“You know, I thought I was unworthy of such attention let alone love, but I suppose Elsa saw something in me other than a shell of my former self,” said Thor. “I never imagined I’d have this life.”

“Roast is in the oven,” Elsa said, sitting in her chair next to her husband. She tucked her legs up next to her. “And it was your eyes I noticed first of all.”

“So the god/king status didn’t appeal to you?” asked Tony.

“I didn’t know he was actually the god of thunder until after he proposed,” said Elsa. “I thought the Norse gods and legends were just stories passed down from our ancestors.”

“Is Thor that common of a name?” Tony asked.

Natasha rolled her eyes. “Continue your story.”

“I wanted to get to know the handsome stranger, so I convinced my coworkers to let me work his table when he was there. Little did I know he’d requested something similar from the owners to get to know me,” Elsa said. “We started talking more and I realized how gentle and sweet he was. He made me laugh, even when I’d had a bad day. Before I knew it, I was in love.”

“And so was I,” Thor said, smiling at his wife. “Though I must admit I was confused how such a beautiful woman fell for this.”

“I’ve always liked bigger bearded men,” said Elsa. She leaned over and drew circles with her finger on Thor’s stomach. “Again, it may have to do with me growing up hearing stories and legends of Vikings. When I was little, I said I’d marry one and become a Viking queen. I never imagined those childhood games would come true.”

Tony sighed disappointedly. “Why do so many women go for the dad-bod. I could save so much if I dropped my personal trainer and sat on my couch drinking beer and eating junk.”

“You’d have to have a hire someone to teach you to be ‘sweet and funny’,” Steve said.

Elsa laughed softly. “I would love Thor regardless of how he looked, but it is nice that he appreciates my cooking.”

“That I do, my dear,” Thor said patting Elsa’s hand that was resting on his belly. “That I do.”

Katerina came back in the room, dragging Walla with her with one hand and suckling on the thumb knuckle of the other hand. She crawled into Thor’s lap.

“As you can see my children are jealous for their father’s attention,” Elsa joked petting Katerina’s long blonde hair. “Papa is always warm and soft, isn’t he sweetie?”

“I think I might be their favorite pillow,” said Thor. He grinned. “What do you think?”

Elsa smiled. “I would have to agree, darling. You’re my favorite pillow too.”

Katerina nodded and hugged Thor tightly. She nuzzled her face against Thor and began sucking on her knuckle again. Laying on Thor’s belly had been her favorite resting spot since she was a baby.


End file.
